Friendship (2) Monday 8th October 2018 'A man who has friends must himself be friendly.' Proverbs 18:24 NKJV If we want to have, and keep, good friends, we need to make sure we're being a good friend too. We can't expect people to show us friendship when we're not prepared to show it back. A friendship, just like any relationship between two people, needs both people to invest. It requires both people to treat each other well. It means being there for each other in the easy times and in the hard times. It means being someone who can open up to people and also being someone who others feel comfortable opening up to. Being a good friend isn't to do with personality. We can be loud or quiet, open or reserved, confident or shy and still be a great friend. It's the fruits of the spirit in our lives - 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control' - that determine how good a friend we are (see Galatians 5:22-23 NCV). If that feels like too big a list for us to try and achieve at the moment, we can remember the call to 'do to others what you would want them to do to you' (Luke 6:31 NCV). Sometimes it's challenging to take a look at our character and think about where we can improve, but God can show us which areas we need to work on in order to be a better friend to others. So what now? Ask your closest friends which qualities in you they appreciate. And, if you're feeling brave, ask them what areas they think you need to work on too.
